Fool
by Crazyfangirl23
Summary: Henry embarrasses himself once again, and ends up in an Enclave meeting


Fool

'Henry?' A voice called, returning him to his senses. He was examining a special type of cog under his goggles, and his concentration was entirely on the device in his hands.

'Henry?' It called again. He nearly grew frustrated, wishing the voice subside and leave him to examine...wait, those strange markings in the right hand corner...

'Henry!' The voice pierced his ear, and he whipped around, feeling downcast at the interruption of his near discovery, though the presence of his beautiful wife calmed him slightly. She was standing at the doorway, her hair tied into her usual plait, and her expression put out. He felt guilty for ignoring her, as he noticed how her eyes were softly glaring into his with her hands slightly folded.

'Yes, Charlotte?' He inquired. She sighed, looking tired of his innocent voice.

'It's dinner.' She explained.

He looked at Charlotte, then longingly back at his untidy desk, with cogs, wires, metals, tools and precariously stacked notes and scribbles of early inventions.

'Couldn't I be up in five minutes, darling, it's just that I've been-'

'Henry, it's dinner. You've been in here all day. I have barely seen you at all, I didn't see you at lunch or breakfast, you must be hungry-'

'I'm fine Charlotte, I had a few sandwiches before lunch.' He interjected, flipping up his goggles in exasperation.

A look crossed her face, one that he had seen only infrequently, yet it always made him melt inside.

Charlotte looked back behind her, up the stairs whence she came.

'Please Henry. You need to eat. I'm not bringing you food here anymore.' He saw the fiery blaze trapped in her eyes and he stepped slowly toward her.

'I'm sorry.'

'You don't need to apologise, Henry.'

She turned her back and he walked up the stairs, following suit of her. He didn't look back at his laboratory, for once. He didn't like the fact that Charlotte had to drag him up to dinner. He swore he wouldn't do it again, if he could help it. He looked at the table, where Will, Tessa, Jem, and all the rest were already sitting. He whispered a thanks in Charlotte's direction, suddenly grateful and overwhelmed of her care, as he was quite hungry. He took a seat, reaching instantly for the carrots.

Charlotte and the rest started talking about something he didn't hear, so he busied himself with eating the full contents on his plate.

'...Right Henry?' He heard, and he looked up to see Charlotte looking expectantly at him.

'Uh...what was that, Charlotte dear?'

She sighed once again.

'It doesn't matter, Henry.'

He continued to look at her, disappointed in his obliviousness.

'You're eating Jem's potatoes, darling.'

He looked down to find his fork, indeed speared with potatoes which didn't belong to him. He put them hastily back onto Jem's plate.

'...can't see beyond the concern of his inventions...' Henry just caught the end of Will's muttered opinion, and heard Charlotte's denials on his behalf, with a freezing glare at Will. His mind tried to focus on the conversation, but slipped easily from it, his thoughts taking him to another dimension.

Another ten minutes passed, and he daydreamed wildly to avoid the conversation.

'I thought you didn't like cabbage.'

He looked up again, to see Charlotte's face.

'I don't.'

'Then why are you putting them on your plate, dear?'

'Uh...I wanted peas.'

'There are no peas.'

'Oh.'

He withdrew the arm reaching for the cabbage, and stared glumly at his plate.

He could hear Will mutter 'fool' but didn't take it to heart, even though he knew he was one.

He grabbed the paper beside him, not wanting to cause any more embarrassment on Charlotte's behalf. He mostly didn't take anything anyone said seriously; unless someone said something to really upset him, like insult Charlotte. He couldn't bear to hear any accusations against his wife.

'You're reading it upside down you idiot.' Will said, and Henry physically saw the anger in Charlotte's eyes.

'Don't talk to Henry like that Will, he is not an idiot-'

She cut her words off to look at Henry, who was busying himself by buttoning the wrong buttons into the wrong holes on his waistcoat.

Charlotte covered half her face with a hand.

'And if that isn't proof, I'll be the angel Raziel himself.' He retorted, gesturing to Henry.

At that moment, Sophie came in, whispering to Charlotte about something. She sighed, and left the room, her hand momentarily placing itself on his shoulder until her touch was gone.

'If I'm not mistaken,' Will began, 'I can practically smell the stench of Benedict Lightwood.' He got up from the table, walking toward the door. Tessa went to protest, but he ignored it. Henry himself decided that it wouldn't be worth it to run into Benedict Lightwood, so the laboratory, once again would serve as his refuge.

He walked down the hallway, instinctively turning each way as if he was walking it blindfolded. With a short sigh, he stopped. Just his luck, the man standing opposite him was none other than Lightwood.

'Henry.' He said curtly, inclining his head.

'Benedict.' He replied back.

'To the laboratory, I presume.' His coy smile made Henry flare inside. Of course he was. It was just like Benedict to draw things out like that.

'No actually.'

What? Why did he say that? He swallowed. Benedict looked surprised, his grey eyebrows slightly raised. His smile didn't falter.

'Then what is your business here?'

'What is your business here, Lightwood?' He snarled. He could see Charlotte looking shocked at his sudden aggressiveness.

Benedict's upper lip curled, his smile vanishing.

'To discuss things which don't concern you.'

Charlotte, as usual, stepped in of her own accord.

'They very well concern Henry, he is the master of the household, and I will not have you speak to him like that.'

Her sharp tone always amazed Henry. He sometimes forgot how forceful his wife could be.

Benedict only laughed.

'If they did concern him, he would already know of the Enclave's plans.'

'He works hard in his laboratory every day, he doesn't have time to listen you your meaningless ramblings.'

Once again, Henry found himself in awe of Charlotte, the fact she could overpower even the richest of men made her quite intimidating and powerful herself. He admired her greatly for that.

'I came to help you with the Enclave's plans.' He said finally.

Both of them looked surprised, Benedict giving him a look that made him nearly regret his decision. He didn't protest, only raised his eyebrows slightly and turned on his heels toward the direction of the library. Charlotte cast him a wary look, like she wanted to tell him he had made a mistake. He followed her into the library, sitting on the chair next to Charlotte and waiting for Benedict to speak.

It turned out that Enclave business was as boring as it sounded. He longed to be in his laboratory, away from this boring meeting and with his inventions. Only Charlotte's presence restrained him from excusing himself and returning to the crypt. However boring he seemed it to be, he did take interest in what Charlotte was currently saying about the clockwork creatures, and listened intently.

'We're not really sure what type of metal they are, or what they're made of, but-'

'A special type of cog is used. And I suspect the metal is an alloy of silver and aluminium.' Henry said calmly, cutting off Charlotte. He had kept quiet all the way through the meeting, up until now.

Charlotte looked at him with a mixture of shock, and awe.

'I have a cog in my laboratory I retrieved from one of the automatons,' he continued, despite the staring faces of the Enclave members, 'I think it had some strange markings. I will have to examine it to be sure. And as for the silver and aluminium alloy, they can both certainly be destroyed through, not Shadowhunter weapons, but normal, metallic weapons and chains. If I insert a chemical that will weaken the metal into shadowhunter blades, it could slow them down. Obviously, because they aren't born of Heaven nor Hell, it won't kill them completely, but it might give us a slight advantage.'

Silence. Henry didn't know if they were stunned, amused, or angry for interrupting their meeting.

Charlotte looked at him, then up at Benedict, who had a slight frown on his face, and them back to him.

'That's brilliant!' She said at him. 'How?-'

'An Inventors Guide, dear. Taught me nearly everything I know.'

'It seems,' Benedict cut in, a cool smile now forming on his face, despite his cold eyes, 'Henry has come in useful for once at the precise moment. I apologise for delaying you in the hallway, I realise you were obviously ready to share this information.' A cruel smile formed on his lips and Henry wanted nothing else but to knock him out cold. Each word stuck to him. 'Henry has come in useful for once.'

The sentence rang in his ears so he dispelled it as far as he could in his mind, and focused on Charlotte's death glare that settled upon Benedict. She gave him an encouraging smile, and rubbed his shoulder. It was all he could do not to blush at her contact, as silly as it seemed.

'Are you quite sure,' George says, 'you will be able to insert a chemical,' he said the word heavily, implying how stupid he thought the idea was, 'into a seraph blade?'

Henry didn't hesitate in answering.

'Of course I can, George. Do you think I do nothing in my laboratory?'

He opened his mouth to argue, but Henry's answer kept him quiet. He could almost feel Charlotte's smile imprint onto his soul, making him feel more comfortable in this room full of powerful members of the Clave.

'You're sure it will work?' Charlotte's aunt, Callida, asks next, just to make sure.

'Yes.' He said firmly.

'Very well then,' Benedict says, 'I expect you will have this new project for us at the next Enclave meeting?'

'Of course.' He replies, smiling up at Benedict just so he could, for a second, overpower him like Charlotte did countless times.

'Thank you, darling. That would be so much easier.' Charlotte smiled up at him, and Henry felt almost worthy of it.

'It would also be best to make sure it doesn't...blow up or set someone on fire.' Frederick adds, and Henry feels his face go slightly red.

'I will make sure of it.' He replies, and then adds, 'I should best be getting to work, then.' He slightly stumbles as he stands up, but he keeps his voice steady. 'I'll have it ready in two days.' He says, looking into Benedict's eyes with a triumphant smile in his own. He looks back at Charlotte, smiles awkwardly, and departs.

This time, Henry is the one to touch Charlotte's shoulder, as he exits the room, his head brimming with ideas.

He was useful to them, to Charlotte, for once. He felt a small burst of pride as he reminisced the look on Lottie's face.

Maybe it wasn't a complete waste of time after all.


End file.
